Rural Needs Bill ‘the first of its kind’, says Fearon

South Armagh MLA Megan Fearon has welcomed the progression of the Rural Needs Bill to its final stage in Stormont.
“The Rural Needs Bill will go a long way to addressing the issues and challenges faced by rural dwellers,” she said.
“The north is the first area in the EU to introduce this kind of legislation and when TD Martin Ferris’s Bill is passed, Ireland, as a whole, will be the first country in Europe to enshrine rural proofing in legislation.
“The organisations that came before us, to make presentations, represent thousands of people who live in rural areas, farmers and non-farmers, so this bill is truly representative of the people it has been designed for.
“It enhances the current rural proofing arrangements by requiring policy makers in public authorities to take the needs of rural dwellers into account when developing and implementing policies and when designing and delivering public services.

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Fearon added, “However, it also shows that, when the political will exists, real change can be affected in Stormont and that the MLAs here can produce tangible results for the people we represent.”

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